A T-38C from the Air Force Test Pilot School served as a target for NASA’s schlieren imaging system.Credits: U.S. Air Force Photo

To take this supersonic shot, NASA pilots flew a jet thousands of feet beneath a second airplane equipped with a high-speed camera. The second plane caught the moment that the jet exceeded Mach 1, the speed of sound.

By using special software, the researchers eliminated the desert background, enabling the usually invisible shock waves, vortices and engine plume to emerge. The researchers said that they hope these images will help them improve designs for future supersonic flights.